The agent I want to be
by SophieHolmesWatson
Summary: Skye is pushing herself more and more, putting her health in serious jeopardy. Can Ward and her family help her through it or will her desire to be better prevail? Warnings and information inside. SkyeWard, FitzSimmons and May/Coulson friendship for now. But that's likely to change! Rating may also change later on.
1. Chapter 1

TW: Disordered thinking, could be considered an eating disorder. Set after 'The Hub' but no real spoilers that I'm aware of. Sorry if it's OOC. May turn into a two-shot or three-shot. Reviews are love!

_Punch. Punch. Breathe. Hit. Harder, come on! It's been five hours, that's it, Skye, pick it up. Dizzy is good, dizzy is your friend, you're working hard. It proves it. No, no sitting down, have to keep going._

Gasping for breath, the hacktivist let her head rest on the punching bag, hands stilling and dropping to her sides. Even with the bandages wrapped around her palm and knuckles, her hands were throbbing, bright red with bruises forming. _Maybe a break is needed, _she thought woozily, pushing away from the bag and stumbling until she reached the wall. Sliding down, she drank the last dregs of water from her bottle.

She'd been…well, rationing herself. A sip every half hour or so, she felt like it was helping. If she worked hard enough, she'd allow herself more water. It was stupid really, she knew that water would surely help her dizziness, but still, she couldn't bring herself to drink more than a quarter of the bottle in a sitting.

Even more worryingly, she'd been rationing food. It's not like the Bus was running out or anything but she just wasn't hungry. Right? Besides, she still made sure to eat the meal they all ate one day of the week. After the sandwich incident, Fitz had decided that one night every week, they should all have a meal together. Simmons had made her special sandwiches for that first night and even Ward had agreed that they were delicious.

So what if she could only stomach a few bites, it's not like it was a problem or anything. She just wasn't hungry. Her stomach was in knots after numerous sleepless nights and alternating time zones. And so what if when she say May doing yoga or tai-chi and felt jealous, the woman had a killer body. And so what if she would watch her superiors work out or kick some ass on a mission and feel useless. She was really, in comparison. If Ward hadn't saved her that first mission of hers, she would be dead.

The food wasn't a problem. Okay, so maybe she'd decided she should diet. May constantly seemed to eat nothing but healthy foods and she was fine, better than fine. So who cared if Skye decided she really wanted to eat some salad? She was an agent in training, she needed to be in tip top working condition, if that meant losing a little weight and working out a little more, what did it matter? Ward was finally getting the rookie he wanted.

"Skye?" the woman looked up at the sound of her name and by the look on her SO's face, it wasn't the first time he'd tried to get her attention.

"Yo robot, sup?" she forced a grin as she looked up, happy and carefree Skye once more.

"Are you okay?" he asked, offering his hand to help her up. Skye carefully took it and he hauled her up easily, one eyebrow raising. He said nothing, eyes watching her as she wavered slightly.

"Fine, just tired. Not all of us have the stamina of The Cavalry." she smirked, rolling her shoulders and heading back to the punching bag, giving it a few jabs. Ward silently moved to stand opposite her, hands braced on the bag, pressing some of his weight against it so it didn't move as much.

They worked in silence for a little over half an hour before Ward stepped away from the bag. "Time. I think you've done enough for today. Go shower, May's cooking tonight." he nodded, passing her a bottle of water and a towel.

_Thank god. Something healthy then. _

Skye smiled, sipping the water and dabbing at her neck and chest. "Yeah, fair enough. But you don't get out sparring that easily. You promised me." she huffed, tilting her head to the side and batting her lashes.

Ward blew out an exasperated sigh, rolling his eyes. "Fine. Later. See if we can get you all tired out for bed." he hummed and immediately the tips of his ears turned bright red as what he said registered.

_God, that sounded like he was prepositioning me. _

The hacker chuckled and patted his chest on the way out, being nice and letting him wallow in his mortification alone.

When they sat down to eat, Skye was feeling more than a little sick. She was tired but wound up and was debating just skipping dinner all together when Ward sat down. He greeted her with a 'hello' and a quick smile before he started to fill his plate. May must have been working forever; homemade hamburgers, a salad full of things she was sure she had never seen before, even homemade bread for the burgers. And lo and behold, May, healthy eating Melinda, had baked. A cake. There was no way Skye could eat any of that without throwing up, and even if she didn't, it would just make her feel sick and heavy and useless and fa-no. No, she wasn't fat. She could not think like that! There was no way she was overweight, she was normal. Just a normal weight.

So, she loaded salad onto her plate, nibbling on something green and trying to appear as if she was really enjoying it. The chatter was comfortable, even Ward and May joining in rather enthusiastically. Skye forced herself to talk, joining in, generally being loud, hoping they wouldn't notice how most of her food remained on her plate.

When FitzSimmons cleaned up and May started to cut up the cake, Skye excused herself. "Sorry. As wonderful as that looks, I'm feeling a little ill." she held her hand up as Jemma started to talk. "I'm fine, really. I'm going to give the bag an hour or so and head to bed." she smiled, rummaging in the fridge for a bottle of water before slinking back down to the 'gym'.

Exactly an hour later, Ward turned up, hands on his hips. "Skye." he said evenly and she glanced up to see that he was blocking her way out.

"You've been acting strange ever since me and Fitz came back."

_If only. If only it had only been since then. _Months had gone past since their first interaction. Months that she'd spent watching Ward and May and Coulson, months she'd spent skipping meals and working out, pushing herself, wanting to be better. Wanting to be an agent, an agent that Coulson could be proud of. An agent that would make May smile and an agent that Ward admire. An agent that FitzSimmons could rely on. The agent that she wanted to become.

She shrugged, starting to unwrap her hands. "I'm going to bed. See you for training in the morning."

"Skye." Grant sighed, shaking his head. "You don't look well. Go to Simmons, get her to check you over. I'll cancel training tomorrow until you're feeling better." he said, almost gently.

Skye nearly flipped. She didn't need coddling! She needed her workouts, she didn't need to be treated like a child or a nuisance. And some small part of her knew that Ward didn't mean it like that at all, he was genuinely concerned for his rookie's health.

"Ward, I'm fine." she said through gritted teeth, shoving the bag angrily.

It happened quickly; a wave of dizziness hit Skye and before she could even stumble out of the way, the bag hit her square in the chest. She actually flew back a few feet, somehow managing to stay upright. For a few seconds.

Her vision was blurred, heart pounding in her ears. She couldn't see.

"Skye!" she heard, the voice sounding far-away and panicked.

It was the last thing she heard before dropping to the floor.


	2. Chapter 2

I am blown away by the response this story has got, thank you so much to all reviewers, followers and people who favourited! This is the largest response I've ever got for a fanfiction, so again thank you, I hope I don't disappoint with the next chapter.

Ward wasn't worried. Nope. Definitely not worrying, Skye was a big girl, she could _generally _take care of herself. He wasn't worried when he saw he working out, when he saw her push her food around her plate. He certainly wasn't worried as he watched her energy waver. As the bag knocked her, and it was a knock, that's why he hadn't reached out to stop it.

But Skye stumbled back. And he knew as soon as he saw her face that she was about to collapse. _Not worried. Not worried. _Oh hell, who was he kidding? He was _terrified. _

"Skye!" he exclaimed, rushing over, unfortunately not in time to stop her hitting the cold ground. He did manage to cradle her head and he quickly shifted her so she was mainly in his lap. "Skye?" he asked urgently, shaking her shoulder. _No response. _

He refused to admit that his hands shook as he tipped her head back, fingers searching for a pulse. He let out a small breath as he felt the flutter under his fingertips.

_She's cold,_ he realised as an afterthought, and he recalled Skye's earlier statement about feeling a 'little ill'. This wasn't ill, this was sick, really sick. He'd been an agent for years; had seen gunshots and hypothermia and stab wounds and about any kind of injury someone could imagine. He _knew _when someone was in danger. She was pale and cold, her breathing laboured, pulse weak. How the hell had he not noticed?

Except…except maybe he had. He knew she had been working out more, but pushing it to the brink of collapse? Had he seen that? Had he maybe ignored it because he was still bitter over the Miles incident? Either way, Skye was s_ick. _And now he had to deal with the consequences.

Ward lifted Skye easily, far too easily. His stomach fell and everything seemed to fall into place_. Oh god, Skye, what the hell have you been doing to yourself? _

He rushed from the gym and up into the main area, calling out. "Simmons! Coulson!" he shouted, gently laying the hacker on the largest sofa, taking a moment to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

_Should have noticed. Should have done something._

"Ward?" Simmons asked softly, obviously a little confused. Fitz was chattering away at her side, idling with some sort of tech, "and really, I don't see the problem with the Night-Night gun, I really think he's overreacting and-"

"Fitz, shut up for one minute!" Ward snapped and something clicked for Simmons who sprang forward, originally believing that Skye was sleeping. She knelt beside the young hacker, gently pressing two fingers to her neck,

"Ward, what happened?" she asked, turning over her shoulder to glance at Fitz, who seemed to understand. He left the room quickly to gather the medical supplies from the lab.

"She was working out, didn't look well. I told her to get checked out. She pushed the bag, really, I would have stopped it but I thought you could just punch it or…or move or something. It knocked her and she just…collapsed.

Both Coulson and May appeared then, Coulson looking mildly concerned, May looking disinterested as per usual, though something in her eyes hinted that she was just as worried as Phil. They kept out of the way, watching silently as Fitz came stumbling back in, three green med bags in his arms. He placed them down and knelt beside Jemma, both talking and starting to work, just like they were working on some sort of experiment- in sync.

"Dehydrated." Jemma murmured after pinching the back of Skye's hand. "I can't put my finger on what's wrong. I'd say flu but…something's just not right." she looked up, gently biting her lower lip.

Grant closed his eyes briefly, not wanting to voice his concerns, have them become a reality. He'd been to S.H.I.E.L.D's psychiatric centre only once and the image had stayed with him; haunted eyes, frail bodies, the screaming and the eerie quietness at home together.

He couldn't imagine someone like Skye there, happy and bubbly. A smartass and a joker. She was still just a kid. It would break her. But was she already broken?

_No. No, of course she isn't. She's sick. And now she has a family to take care of her._

Jemma was inserting an IV into the back of Skye's hand when Ward spoke up. "Jemma." he croaked, clearing his throat and nearly stiffening as all eyes swivelled to him.

"I think…In fact, I'm sure that…Skye hasn't been…" he swallowed, shaking his head. "She hasn't been eating. I…she's been working out so much but there's always food gone so I thought that she was at least looking after herself." That was how he'd been trained; the more you work out, the bigger meals you eat, to replace lost energy and calories.

But Skye hadn't been eating. Not really. And with the work outs she'd been pushing her body through, the water she'd apparently decided she didn't need, and the sleepless nights…was it any wonder her body had eventually had enough?

Jemma's eyes were brimming with tears and she hastily rubbed them, turning back to Skye, shoulders shaking slightly as she set about making the hacker comfortable. They'd become close in the past few months, doing general girly things like gossiping and painting their nails (neither of them had had that growing up so it was a nice change for the both of them).

The bus was silent for a few minutes whilst Simmons worked and the others watched. May and Coulson were standing a little closer together and Fitz's hand had found its place on Simmons' back, running up and down gently.

When Simmons sat back, slumping against Leo a little, Ward could see Skye. She looked awful. He wasn't sure if it was the unhealthy pallor, the tube sticking out of her hand, the mask placed over her face or just the sheer knowledge of what was happening in Skye's mind. Of what she was doing to herself.

Fitz slowly glanced over at Coulson and then Ward before activating Happy, quite ironic really, and setting the little bot to work. A few minutes later, he had his results. He showed them to Jemma, whose tears brimmed over, trickling down her cheeks. Skye was ill, seriously ill.

105 pounds. Skye was five foot five and she only weighed 105 pounds. 47.6 kilos.

Underweight.

She swallowed and shakily wiped her eyes. "Skye needs help." she said gruffly. "If what Ward is saying is true and…judging by these measurements, he is, she cannot carry on like this. Are we understood?" determination flashed in her eyes and she stood. "We are the only family she has and whether you don't care," she looked at May, "whether you're still pissed off for something that happened months ago," she then turned to look pointedly at Ward. "We have to help her." and with that, she took Fitz's hand and pulled him to the door, pausing. "Call me when she wakes up." she said flatly before leaving, Fitz, silent for once, trailing behind her.

Both Phil and Melinda stepped forward, May bending to whisper something in Skye's ear. She squeezed her shoulder and walked from the room.

Coulson brushed his fingers over her forehead and down her cheek, something akin to pain in his eyes. He stayed silent, turning to watch Ward for a few seconds. "You look after her." he said evenly, almost as if it was a threat.

Then he too left and Ward was alone with Skye. His legs didn't seem to want to carry him anymore and he collapsed on his knees beside her, automatically his hand seeking out his rookie's. He cradled the hand to his cheek almost absently, eyes flitting up and down Skye's body, stomach churning and heart pounding.

_I should have noticed. What kind of Supervising Officer am I? What kind of…friend?_

_I failed. I should have noticed._

_I'm sorry, Skye._

Okay guys, I just want to say a few things. Firstly, thank you again. Secondly, I'm sorry if that chapter was OOC and rubbish, I feel like I really let myself down with this chapter. Please let me know what you think. And lastly, I want your guys input on a few things. How do you feel about me including not only SkyeWard but FitzSimmons and May/Phil? And how do you feel about me having Coulson as Skye's father and maybe May for her mother? One? Both? Neither? Next chapter should be up Sunday, at the latest Monday. If you guys want me to carry on, that is.

Reviews are love, thank you for reading!

Until next time- Sophie.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you so much, everyone. All the comments have blown me away. Thank you to all those who answered my questions, I know where I'm headed now. This will probably end up way longer than a three-shot. Oopsie! On with the story

_Ugh, I feel so sick._

Skye woke slowly to a pounding in her temples and pain in her stomach. She winced, bringing a hand up to rub her temple only to knock something. Startled, she blinked her eyes open and pulled at the oxygen mask, pulling it off her head. A muscular forearm came into her slightly blurred view, taking it from her hands. "You need to keep this on." Grant said softly, gently placing the strap over her head and placing the mask over her mouth.

"Jemma said that your oxygen levels are low. I'll go get her to check on you." he muttered gruffly, standing, back cracking slightly.

"Grant." Skye swallowed, reaching out to snatch his hand. "Look at me?" she said softly, though it came out as a question, weak and hoarse.

Ward cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I need to get Jemma. You're ill, Skye, and she needs to make sure you're okay."

_Hah, okay? None of this is okay, Skye is nowhere near okay._

The hacker nodded, letting go of his hand and curling her own to her chest. She watched him wearily, expression almost panicked. _They don't know. They can't know. Have to make them believe you're ill. Cough, something! They cannot know the goddamn truth!_

She gave a soft cough, patting her chest. "God, my throat hurts. I knew it, I am getting sick." she said weakly, flitting her gaze up to watch his face.

Ward stiffened, swallowing back anger. _Lies. _

"Okay then, Skye. Well let me get Jemma." he said flatly, gaze on the floor as he hurried from the room. When he got to the lab, he shoved the door open, startled both occupants. "Skye's awake. But don't expect much from her, she's blatantly lying about what happened." He spat, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Jemma was the first to move, peeling off her gloves and shoving them in the bin. "Come on, Fitz." she said overtly brightly, taking his hand. She paused at the door, sighing and turning to face Ward.

"Maybe you should go sleep, Agent Ward. I'm going to be staying with Skye until I know she's stable. No one says a word until she's out of danger, understood? She's obviously not ready to talk about why she's doing this. And the way to go about getting her to open up is not that way you would do it, if you'll forgive me. It's just…I think Skye just needs support right now, not her tough love SO." she said gently, guilty for having a go at him earlier. She was just worried about Skye, about her sister.

Ward stood silent for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm going to come with you. I'll…sit out of the way, but I'm not leaving her now." he said respectfully but firmly.

He missed the slightly smug smile that crossed Fitz's lips.

Jemma tilted her head to the side before slowly nodding. "Fine. But no upsetting her. Her body is weak already, the last thing we need right now is for her to go into shock or really get sick. People who…don't eat as much as they should," She refused to call it an eating disorder, "have weak immune systems. Their organs can start to shut down. We already know that Skye's heart is struggling, the blood isn't pumping as good as it should be; her fingers are cold, colder than the rest of her. And I've had to up the oxygen intake she's receiving." the bio-chemist swallowed and clutched Fitz's hand. "Anyway, let's see how she is." she said quickly, tuning on her heel.

When they reached the main area, Ward thought he might be sick, panic clawing its way up his throat.

Skye was gone.

"Goddammit!" Jemma swore, slamming her hand into the inter-com. "Coulson, May, Skye's gone." she turned. "Well what are you doing standing there?" she snapped at the two men, "go find her!"

She shoved past them, heading down to Skye's bunk first.

Ward headed to the gym, getting worked up when she wasn't there. He met Simmons in the corridor, cursing when he saw the panic stricken expression on her face. They turned simultaneously at the sound of muffled sobbing.

"Skye!" Jemma turned, following the noise, slightly startled to be standing outside Ward's bunk. "Skye, sweetheart, its me." she stuck her hand out behind her, gesturing for Ward to give her his key-card. "I'm going to come in, okay?" she said gently, starting to slide the door open.

The hacker shook her head, swiping clumsily at her eyes, hunkering back against the wall. She was gasping for breath, chest heaving rapidly. Blood trickled down her hand, smearing across her cheek as she tried to hide the tears.

"You know." she croaked out, breathless and panicking.

"Yes sweetheart." Jemma spoke softly, approaching the bed slowly, like Skye was a wounded animal. "But it's okay, you have us now, all of us. And we're going to help you." she sat down beside the girl, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her to her chest.

Ward stood at the door, watching silently, gaze pained. Footsteps sounded behind him and he turned, faced with the rest of the team. Each of them looked in varying stages of panic, even cold, expressionless May. When Ward nodded, jerking his thumb into his bunk, they all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. It wasn't like she could have gone anywhere, not really, they were in the air.

_She could have jumped off, just like Jemma._

Okay, so obviously they would have heard the alarm and so the thought had been irrational, but still.

"Skye! Skye, sweetheart, look at me. Breathe, I need you to calm down." Jemma's voice was rising. "Ward." she called and he rushed in, taking in the scene before him.

Skye's eyelids were fluttering shut, her lips tinted blue as she gasped, trembling violently against Jemma.

_Panic attack, _his mind supplied. But with the way her body was right now, how weak she was, she could be in serious trouble.

Jemma all but pushed him to sit down, placing Skye in front of him, his thighs bracing her hips. He tucked his chin against her shoulder, pressing her back to his chest.

"Skye." he said gruffly, taking a deep measured breath. "Follow me, follow my breathing. You're fine." he said softly, jut to her, lips against her ear. "In and out." he pressed her palm to the base of his neck, where she could feel the thud of his pulse. "There we go." he gently tucked her hair behind her ear with his free hand, soothing the quaking, panting girl that he didn't even recognise as Skye.

A few minutes of careful breathing later and Jemma was back, placing the oxygen mask over her mouth. "Here we are." she said gently, glancing up at Ward, who was tight lipped and pale faced.

Skye's head lolled back against Ward's shoulder, breathing laboured but even, her eyes closed. He swallowed and looked towards the door, towards his team and…dammit, his family.

They could do this, they could help Skye and they would, Grant was damn sure of it.

They were her family and they would protect her from anything.

Even if that meant protecting the hacker from herself.

Okay, so…kinda crappy chapter, sorry guys :/

Oh and, I think I know where I'm going now. There will definitely be SkyeWard and FizSimmons, there will most likely be Coulson/May, and they will not be her parents. Not biologically, but they will basically adopt her as a daughter, so we'll see loads of parenty and family fluff.

Until next time, thank you for everything. Reviews are love! Hope I didn't let you down- Sophie.


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you, everyone, you have no idea how much your support means to me. Thank you so much. and sorry for all mistakes- my work has never been beta-read. On with the story :)

Ward woke up with Skye cradled against his chest, his arms wrapped around her. He was wide awake in an instant, going still until he felt Skye breathe. He himself didn't breathe for at least a minute, just listening to her inhales and exhales, reminding himself that she was still there.

And as long as she was still there, there was still hope.

Ward recalled the previous night, the occupants of the Bus crowded around his bunk at three in the morning, each of them panicked and concerned. Once Skye had drifted to sleep, Jemma had reinserted the IV and swathed the girl in blankets. It had been difficult to move in the cramped space but they had all managed. Once Skye was comfortable, Simmons had prodded and poked at Ward's shoulder until the agent had slid down onto the bed. He had been silent the whole time, his arm wrapped protectively around Skye's waist (he had felt sick at the feel of her hip under his hand) as he positioned her against his chest. He had stayed awake long after the others had retired to their own beds, all very reluctant to leave actually.

But finally, he had succumbed to sleep, he was just grateful that his years as an agent meant he was a light sleeper, he would never have forgiven himself had something happened and he not woke up.

As it was, Skye had slept through the whole night with no problems, for which Grant was extremely grateful.

Now he had to face the other problems. How could they convince Skye to eat, to cut it down on the work outs? Not only was her body weak but if she had kept going, it could easily have killed her. Could still kill her.

When Skye started to stir, Grant loosened his grip around her middle, not wanting to hacker to feel cornered or smothered. "Morning." he murmured, rolling onto his back as she started to squirm.

"What time is it?" she mumbled, burrowing under the layers of blankets, her hand tucked under her head.

"Nearly noon, sleepy head." he tried to joke, to tease, but nothing about it felt right.

"Noon?!" Skye almost shrieked, starting to kick off the blankets. "Dammit, why didn't you wake me? I have work to do and I…" she trailed off, closing her eyes. "You're not going to let me, are you?"

"That depends. If you mean work as in your computer stuff then sure, you can do that. If you mean go to the gym, then no." he said evenly, sitting up to gauge her reaction.

She was surprisingly calm.

"Fine, whatever. Now get out of my-" _Oh shit, this isn't my bunk._

"Ward?" she didn't really remember her trip from the living area to Ward's bunk, it couldn't be that she mistaken it for hers, they were on opposite sides of the corridor.

"It's fine, we found you here, you were upset, you remember yeah?" he prodded gently and she nodded, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, just got confused."

They were silent were a few minutes, Skye trying to figure out what to say and Ward trying to think about how to phrase his next question.

"See, thing is Skye, you know that this isn't healthy, right?" he turned to face her, face stern and calm. The only thing giving away his concern and yes, his panic, were his eyes. And as he turned to face her, eye to eye, for the first time since it had all happened, she could see.

_Why is he so…worked up? I'm fine, I thought he'd be happy, I thought they'd all be happy. I can become a good agent now, I can be like Black Widow and May and Agent Hill. I can be like them, I just have to get fit, I just have to look like they do, feel like they do._

"I'm fine. Really, I'm just…shifting all this stubborn weight. I just…want to be like them." she whispered, frowning and rubbing her eyes, scraping her hair off her face. "Don't you ever see someone and think hey, if I worked harder, I could be just as good as them. I could do it, Ward, I could be like May, I could be a good fighter. I could be a good agent, you just have to let me do this!" she exclaimed, pulling the stupid mask off her face, flinging it against the wall.

"Skye, sweetheart, calm down." the term of endearment slipped off his tongue. _Oh hell. What am I getting myself into?_

Unbeknownst to Ward and Skye, May sat just outside the door, head leaning against the wall.

'_I could be like May.'_

_Oh Skye, you don't ever want to be like me._

May had been in Skye's position; a rookie, scared and wanting to prove herself. She'd gone through stages of working herself unconscious, but she'd had Coulson, she'd been different back then.

She hadn't been the infamous Cavalry.

Agent May pulled herself up, schooling her expression and knocking on the door, sliding it open. "Ward, Jemma wants to see you in the lab." she said curtly, standing and obviously waiting for him to leave before she spoke again.

"You fancy getting cleaned up? I can help you to the bathroom?" she asked quietly.

Skye was taken aback as she rubbed a few tears from her eyes. Now she thought about it, she did feel kinda gross.

She didn't want to accept help, least of all from May who barely spoke to her, but now that it had been mentioned, she really did want to clean up. And after sitting up, it was clear she wouldn't make it on her own.

_Pathetic._

May was silent and contemplative as she wound an arm around Skye's back, forcing the jealousy to the forefront of Skye's mind. It wasn't Melinda's fault. No way was it. But living in an enclosed space with someone for so long…she couldn't help but wish she was different. And May was strong and brave and beautiful, she had a nickname and a stellar reputation. She was respected but she wasn't arrogant. She was flawless, perfect, brilliant. Who could blame a girl for wanting to be like that?

When they came to the bathroom, May surprised Skye by coming in with her. The older agent turned on the shower, taking Skye and placing her on the side of the bathtub.

"I'm not who you think I am, Skye." she started to undo her standard SHIELD suit, movements brisk and efficient. "I'm not perfect, I'm not without flaws."

She felt exposed, horribly, horribly exposed.

Swallowing, the agent slid her suit down to her knees.

Skye was confused and flustered at this point. Seeing May as somewhat of an older sister/mother figure, this was exceptionally awkward.

"Skye. Look at me." May resisted the urge to hug herself.

The hacker reluctantly looked up.

"Tell me what you see. Am I fat? Am I perfect? Do I need to lose weight?" Melinda asked softly.

Skye shook her head rapidly. "No! You don't, you're healthy and you have muscles but not…" she flinched, bowing her head and rubbing her temples.

"I see what you're trying to do. Just because you don't need to lose weight, doesn't mean I don't have to." she said flatly, gaze down as she wrung her hands.

"I died, Skye. I got shot, right here." she tapped her shoulder. "You see the scar? That's not perfect now is it? You see my stomach? It's not flat, I have some muscles but I have an overall curvy figure. I'm healthy, Skye, do you see that?" May quickly shoved her arms in her suit and zipped it back up. She _had _to get through to the girl.

"That's what an agent has to be, strong and fit, not small and…weak. Passing out from over exerting themself." in a rare show of emotion, May tucked some lose hair behind Skye's ear.

Skye herself was shocked, just watching. She was sure this was the most Melinda had ever spoken to her.

"I want to be perfect." the hacker blew out a quivering breath, tears filling her eyes once more.

"There is no such thing as perfection. There's only how we perceive it. What I see here, is a girl, a woman, struggling to find herself. And you remind me of myself. You remind me of a certain Avenger I know too."

She sighed. "But Skye, you will find yourself. You don't have to be thin, you don't have to work yourself until you're sick. You just have to understand that becoming an agent takes time. It means dedication and hard work. But it also means days off, it means eating ice-cream and relaxing with a film. It means letting your family help you." and with that, the older agent stood, carefully wiping her face of emotions, but not before dropping a kiss to the startled woman's temple.

"Let us help."

Okay. so that was…a weird chapter to write. Sorry if you abhorred it, I kinda did but oh well. I lame sleep deprivation, I really wanted to get another chapter out there as soon as I could. Slightly dedicated to Unaligned fae queen who wanted a Skye and May mother/daughter moment. There will be more SkyeWard in the next chapter, sorry again, thank you for sticking with this! Probably OOC too, gosh I'm sorry. Reviews are love3


	5. Chapter 5

91 REVIEWS! I am blown away, wow. Okay so, I'll be doing a chapter today and then tomorrow. This chapter won't feature May and Coulson much but don't you worry, next chapter you're in for some wonderful family, fatherly moments. This chapter is basically some filler fluff before more angsty times. (Well…fluff to me, maybe not to you guys XD) Hope you enjoy!

Skye was left alone to have her shower, and she always had long hot showers when she was stressed, this was one hell of a stressful situation.

The interaction with May had been strange and all around awkward, but what the older agent had said seemed to stick with her.

_You don't have to be thin, you don't have to work yourself until you're sick._

But she did, she had to be thinner because she was clumsy like this, she would never make a good agent.

She just had to be better, she had to.

So really, it came down to two choices.

One, she let herself believe, convinced herself to believe that May was right.

Or two, she started to hide even more.

Because she had no doubt that if she carried on, and stopped hiding it so well, the Bus would land and she'd be forced, kicking and screaming, into a hospital.

A knock on the door brought her from her thoughts, and she blinked water, hastily turning the shower off. "Yeah?"

"Skye, you alright? You've been in there a while and I-" _Just needed to make sure you were alright, _Grant's mind supplied the rest of that sentence. "Are you coming out?" he asked instead.

The hacker resisted the urge to roll her eyes, wrapping herself in a towel because she'd slept in her workout clothes and ew, gross.

With May going all motherly on her, she's not had time to pick up new clothes. "Just…don't look when I come out." she mumbled.

Ward frowned and stepped away from the door, "uh sure." he said, a little wary, even going as far as to turn away as he heard the door open.

He was immediately hit by a waft of lavender steam and he smiled to himself. Now that was definitely Skye all over.

Despite being trained to obey all commands, Grant couldn't help but look behind him when he heard her soft footfalls. He knew she'd be wearing a towel so he wasn't sure why she was so worried about him looking at her and-

_Oh god. _

How the hell had he not noticed how small she was? Her collarbones clearly defined, not to mention that he could literally snap her wrist with a flick of his pinky by the looks of it. And with her hair down her back and off her face and neck, he could see sharp, slanting cheekbones and features that looked so _young _it made his heart clench.

He quickly turned away, closing his eyes and not opening them until her heard her bunk door slide shut.

Anguished, he slumped against the wall, rubbing at his temple, pain temporarily blossoming.

What could he do?

Down in the lab, Fitz was experiencing similar anguish. He'd been working up the nerve to talk to Jemma for hours and hours, losing himself in his work to quell the increasing panic. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer.

"Hey, Jemma?" he asked, fiddling with some scraps of metal, making sure his hands had something to do. Otherwise he'd probably start biting his nails and that was an awful habit he'd always hated.

"Yes Fitz? do you need me to test the gun with you?" she asked, bent over a rat, tongue sticking out of her mouth slightly as she concentrated.

Fitz was worried about Skye, of course he was, the hacker was like…her sister. But he was also worried about another girl.

"You've never thought…you know…Skye." he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck and wiping his forehead, smearing a bit of motor oil across his temple.

"Oh Fitz! Don't be silly." she sighed, finally pulling her eyes from her work. She started to giggle as she noticed the oil, going over and wiping at it with her finger. "No, Leo, really. I've never felt like that." she sighed, all traces of laughter slipping from her face. It wasn't like she had forgotten Skye but she'd pushed herself to work, needing the distraction. Skye didn't need the Englishwoman following her around or crowding her, and without her work, she most likely would have been pestering the hell out of her.

"Good because…you know, you're already perfect, Jem." Leo mumbled, flushing ever so slightly.

Then Jemma did smile again, leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "You're a sweetheart, Fitz." she said softly. "Thank you for worrying about me." she smiled softly up at him. Fitz, being the awkward Scotsman he was, nodded and shoved the bits of metal at her. "H…here, the scraps you needed."

He heard Jemma laughing as she walked back to her bench. He'd never get tired of hearing that.

When Skye was done, she opened the door, gesturing for Ward to come in.

She was dressed in sweatpants and a big shirt, hiding what he knew to be a decidedly childlike body underneath. It was deceptive, Skye was such a strong woman, it was…unthinkable really.

He sat on the edge of the bed, watching Skye before swallowing and shifting closer to her. "Skye…" he said quietly, brows furrowed.

"What's up buttercup?" she asked brightly. "You look like you're in pain." her finger poked the centre of his forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles.

She then rested her hands in her lap, sitting cross legged, back pressed to the wall.

"Pain? No. Are you?" he prodded, eyes scanning her figure, trying not to be too obtrusive. He reached for her hand and Skye's heart thudded in her ears. But Ward was just replacing the IV, muttering something about 'needing to make sure she wasn't dehydrated'.

The hacker watched him at he worked, methodical and precise, trying to cause her the least amount of pain possible.

"Ward, stop, I'm fine." she said softly, reaching to pat his hand in return. His hadn't left hers and it barely registered in his mind as Skye wrapped slim fingers around his palm.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Ward, you gotta talk to me. I know you want to…have a go at me, shout at me. I know you're angry." her voice had gradually got quieter until she was whispering.

Agent Ward was silent for a long moment, in which time Skye was already squirming nervously.

He pulled in a breath and looked up, gaze pained and open in a way she had never seen before. "Angry? Maybe just a little. More than anything, I'm concerned, I'm worried, Skye. This is not healthy, you don't need to go on like this. You've lost so much weight and it's a problem now, it's unhealthy and its making you sick."

Ward's stomach twisted as Skye smiled at 'You've lost so much weight'. As if she was happy, as if she was saying 'Really? I didn't think anyone had noticed.'

He pushed on.

"And I can't let it carry on. Not only is it severely damaging your health, its unprecedented. You don't need it." he said firmly, watching her gaze dropped lower and lower, as she shifted under his gaze, feeling exposed without her hair and her make-up.

"I think I've been compromised." he said so quietly, she wasn't sure she'd heard correctly.

Skye's head shot up, eyes widening. She'd heard those words once before, in a story Coulson had told her. About two of his favourite and best agents; Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton. AKA, Black Widow and Hawkeye. AKA two of the MOST badass people to have ever lived.

About the battle of New York.

"Compromised?" she choked out. "Why?"

His hand came up to rest on her cheek, thumb stroking over the protruding bone.

"Because, if I go out on a mission, I'm going to be worrying. Worrying that I'll come home and you'll be gone. That you'd had a heart attack or…been so weak, you'd fallen and hit your head. Or that maybe you'd taken your own life because you thought you weren't good enough." the last sentence came out in a rush, and Grant clamped his lips shut after, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut. As if willing away the images.

It was the most emotional she'd ever seen him.

And she hated to be the reason for his distress.

"You see Skye, I think I…" he paused, blinking open to watch her.

Skye held her breath, biting down on her lower lip, eyes wide.

"I think I love you."

DUNDUNDUH

So was that fluffy enough? Sorry for crappy writing and OOC'ness. I hope you enjoyed it. A little rushed, sorry for any mistakes!

Shoutout to pinkbelle, who wanted a FitzSimmons moment where Fitz makes sure Jemma doesn't feel the same way as Skye. And to everyone who wanted some SkyeWard lovin'. :) Until next time guys, reviews are love! Hope you enjoyed-Sophie. 3


	6. Author's note!

Just a quick note to tell you all that in celebration, the 100th review will win a one-shot of their choice and pairing (Has to be Agents of Shield).

Also, PM me with any prompts for future fics, seriously!

Don't forget to follow and favourite me ;)

Only kidding, but it would be nice!

Thank you- Sophie3


	7. Chapter 6

Okay guys. Next chapter. Probably boring and short, and not what you wanted at all. I'll explain why at the end. Here's for those who wanted Coulson and Skye lovin' as well as some protective May and awkward and chastised Grant. Aw. Enjoy.

Skye almost choked. "Excuse me? Did Mr tough guy just say the word love?" she stammered, her knuckles white from clutching too hard on his hands.

Ward had the good grace to look faintly embarrassed, "well I did say think." he muttered, glancing down.

A touch on his cheek forced him to look up. Skye's lips were pursed, her cheeks flushed.

"That's the first time I've ever heard those words. From anyone. Not any of my foster families, and I don't exactly have a good track record with men." she cringed. "So I don't care if you just think, thank you." she said softly, shaking her head and slowly pulling her hands from his, reclining back.

Grant hated himself for saying think, but he was not ready to jump in and say yeah, okay, I do love you. The mere thought of it set him on edge. But Skye looked so happy at just that, the he felt like he didn't have to say it.

"You're welcome." he muttered and cleared his throat. "Oh, um, Coulson wanted to see you in his office as soon as you were done." he stood fluidly, looking all around embarrassed.

He left without so much as a goodbye, leaving behind a very confused Skye.

"I love you too." she whispered after him before burying her face in her hands.

Grant was angry, furious with himself. Skye was sick, she was going through a lot and Ward had stuck the knife in and twisted. He'd surely just made things even worse than they had been. He shouldn't have said anything, and he definitely shouldn't have left her on her own.

He slammed his fist into the punching bag, hitting until a stern voice behind him cut across his thoughts.

"Ward." May said flatly, raising an eyebrow and simply staring at him until he moved away, gulping from a bottle of water.

"What is it? I sent Skye to Coulson's office like he wanted."

May continued to watch him, arms crossed over her chest. From what he'd picked up of her facial expressions, she was pissed. Very pissed.

_Shit._

Okay, so someone would have to be VERY stupid to not be scared of Melinda May, and as badass as Ward liked to believe he was, the woman scared the living hell out of him. He thought he could kill someone with a flick of his wrist? This woman could probably cut his neck with the nail on her pinky finger.

"Oh yes, I know that. Do you want to know _why _Agent Ward? Because she came in c_rying. _Now I'm just dying for you to tell me what the hell is going on, before I get angry." her voice was deceptively calm.

Ward started to unwrap his hands. No beating around the bush, really, May was like a hound; could smell the lies from miles away.

"I told Skye that I thought I loved her."

If May looked taken aback, she didn't show it, but there was definitely a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Agent Ward, I'd like you to take into consideration right now how Skye is feeling and what she's going through. Did you never once think that saying 'you might' love her and then leaving might have an adverse effect? She's convinced you're only saying it so she won't, and I believe her exact words were 'take my own life like Grant thinks I will'. May's voice was low, the tiniest hitch in her breath telling him that she was distressed at the thought of Skye perhaps killing herself. However inadvertently.

"Now, I suggest you wait until Coulson's finished and go and tell her how you real feel, without screwing it up. Believe me, if you don't do it now, you'll regret it. Not to mention, upset Skye further." May brushed past him, as silent as ever. "Just remember what happened in Russia. That will be you if you upset her further. Understood?"

Grant barely suppressed a shudder at the memory, nodding. "Yes, of course." he said quietly, well and truly chastised. God, he felt like a teenager again, or what he imagined a teenager without an arsehole of an older brother to feel. Like he'd upset some parent's darling little girl. Oh Christ, May was getting all parental and motherly.

_Jeesh._

In Coulson's office, Skye and Phil currently cradled cups of tea, Skye not really drinking, more just holding it for warmth.

They'd been sitting in somewhat comfortable silence for the last ten minutes, for the ten minutes prior, Skye had been unable to stop crying.

She'd apologised profusely but Coulson had bushed her concerns away with a soft 'Skye, there's no reason to be sorry. If anything, I'm the one who should be sorry.'

At first, she was sure she hadn't heard right, what on earth should Coulson have to apologise for?

"I'm the leader of this team." he'd said, voice wracked with guilt. "I should have noticed that something was wrong, that you weren't okay, if only I'd known and spoke to you, maybe you wouldn't feel like you do now."

And really, that had just fuelled her tears even more.

Now though, Coulson was silent, watching Skye, lips pursed. She wasn't drinking the tea, much to his dismay. He'd loaded the cup with sugar and milk, knowing she'd need the calories or something.

"Skye, drink up." he prodded, nodding to the cup and when Skye took a few absent sips, it was almost like a triumph for Phil.

She pulled a face at the taste but said nothing, knowing what he was trying to do. And so she kept drinking, forcing the disgustingly sweet drink down her throat, if only to make someone on this goddamn Bus a little happier.

Coulson cleared his throat, fiddling with his tie. Before his death, he'd never been one for heart to heart talks, and if he had had them, they'd been with one of two people.

Now, with five new people in his life and Natasha and Clint out of it, things had changed. His death had changed him.

"I know you're probably sick of hearing this, but what you're doing…you don't need to do it. I know one day you'll make an excellent agent. Why do you think I let you stay? You're the best hacker I know, even better than Tony Stark, and he seems to think he's God's gift." his voice was…well, it hinted at proud.

"But past that, you're determined and strong and brave and you will make one of the best agents SHIELD has ever seen. Without this, without the losing weight and making yourself ill."

Skye just bobbed her head at the appropriate times. "Look, AC, I…I'm not saying that I don't want to lose weight still, because I do. But you and the others have all seemed to get to me, get under my skin and into my mind. Trying to convince me to do the right thing. I'm trying, Phil, you have to believe me, I'm trying. I hate feeling sick and dizzy and faint, but it was the only solution I could think of to make myself better."

"You don't need to be any better. You're amazing, Skye, you just have to see that."

The hacker swallowed the last of her tea, holding her cup out to Coulson to see. She _was _trying, she was. All those calories and the amount of sugar, made Skye shudder a little. But she wasn't healthy.

Conflicted, she put the cup down and just took comfort in the warm silence. What needed to be said had been said and Skye was left feeling a little happier. When Phil picked up a book but didn't dismiss her, she moved to the small sofa in his office, curling up under a blanket and slowly falling asleep.

She didn't hear Phil's soft 'I'll make sure you're okay, daughter.'

Okay guys, not sure when I'll be able to upload next. Congrats to the 100th reviewer, you know who you are! If by any chance, this fic gets to 150, I'll be offering another one-shot. (Not that it will.)

Anyway, things aren't good for me right now and I'm having trouble handling stuff, also I got some real bad news today. So, sorry if you hate me or are angry but I cannot help it. I have to work all weekend and I feel like shit and I don't know when I'll upload next. I'll try for Saturday or Sunday. Sorry guys, thank you so much for sticking with me. Also, sorry for OOCness and mistakes. Keep sending little ideas if you want, next chapter will be more angsty, most likely, Until next time-Sophie.


	8. Chapter 7

Hey, I'm back. So, so sorry for taking so long. I'd tell you why I've not been here but I'm sure it would just sound like excuses. Anyways, here's the next chapter. Featuring some angsty sick!Skye. Fitz makes a bigger appearance in this chap too since I know I haven't done much Skye and Fitz lovin. Feel free to send me ideas for where this story should go. Hope you enjoy.

When Skye woke, Coulson was nowhere to be seen.

Mind you, the hacker didn't look for very long, her limbs weak and head spinning. She stumbled from Coulson's office and to the bathroom, hunching over the toilet, coughing and gasping. After only a few minutes, she was bringing up nothing, each retch sending pain rippling through her torso. She moaned, resting her forehead against the cool porcelain.

_Oh Jesus, I feel awful._

It was Fitz who found her, curled forward, quivering weakly. He called for Jemma, accent thick with concern as he knelt beside the hacker, gently pulling her back and getting her to look up at him.

"There we are, hey, what's going on?" he asked softly, one hand cupping her cheek to stop her head drooping.

He hissed, eyes widening. "You're burning." he murmured, reaching the rest the back of his palm against her forehead. She was running a serious fever, shivering and nuzzling against his hand.

Jemma had been in the kitchen when she heard Leo yell. Her heart lurched and she dropped whatever she had been holding, rushing to the bathroom.

She knelt, replacing Fitz's hand with her own. "Oh my." she breathed. "Skye sweetheart? Can you hear me?" she asked gently, tilting her head to Fitz who nodded, slipping his arms under the hacker's body. He wasn't known for his strength, in fact he wasn't very strong at all, but even he managed to lift Skye. He held her gently, following Simmons down to the lab, Ward was working out when they came rushing in. He faltered, the bag knocking into his shoulder as he followed after them.

"What the hell happened?" Grant growled, trying to push past Jemma to get her. He remembered his earlier words about Skye taking her own life and of course, all of his concerns came rushing to the forefront. "Did she take something? Who the hell left her alone?"

He of course forgetting that he had left Skye alone in her bunk just yesterday.

Jemma's glare silenced him. "She's ill. Her immune system is compromised. She must have caught the flu from Coulson when he was sick last week."

"But," Fitz cut in, "her body really can't handle fighting it off on its own."

"So we're going to help her." Jemma finished, already setting work with the IV that seemed like it would become a permanent fixture.

"Ward, if you're just going to stand there, at least make yourself useful! Get me some damp towels, warm water, not cold." Simmons ordered, checking Skye's temperature. She hissed. "Jesus. Okay, that's not going to be good enough. You'll have to run a bath, again, warm water. Get Coulson or May, we're going to need their help."

Leo had disappeared, coming back a minute later with armfuls of blankets.

May followed after him, the senior agent's face calm. However, her hands shook slightly as she lifted the girl, just as easily as Fitz had. Jemma and May made their way to the bathroom. Ward had his hand in the water, turning at the sound of their footsteps. May gestured to the door. "Out."

Ward protested, crossing his arms. "I'm staying."

"Agent Ward, we have to bring Skye's temperature down, which means we have to get rid of her clothing." Jemma raised an eyebrow and it seemed to sink in for Ward, who stammered out a few words and let, closing the door behind him.

Jemma checked the water whilst May started to strip Skye with as much decency as was possible. For the sake of the hacker, they left her underwear on as they manoeuvred her until she was over the water.

"She's going to fight, the water's going to seem freezing to her, but it should help." Jemma swallowed, trying to avert her eyes from too defined ribs and hipbones that stuck out way more than they should. Jemma's eyes filled with tears for the umpteenth time.

May was more composed but how could she not react to that? It was different, seeing how sick she was with clothes on was one thing…this, there was no damn mistaking it. "Let's do this." she said, voice calm but wavering.

The two women gently lowered Skye into the water. They'd just got her lower half under when Skye began to scream, thrashing and kicking, nails sliding over their arms as they gently but firmly held her. "Skye, it's me, it's Jemma. You're ill but we're going to help! You just need to calm down and let us help." Jemma wasn't sure if Skye could even understand her words but something changed.

The hacker started crying, sobbing in earnest, mumbling frantic apologies that just made Simmons' tears spill over. May's eyes watered at every pained 'sorry, I'm so sorry, please.'

"Shhh," Jemma tried to soothe her, fingers combing through black hair and rubbing at her temples. "Relax, we've you. Me and May, you're sae and there's absolutely nothing to be sorry for."

The girl seemed to calm for a few minutes but then she started to struggle again, bucking and shouting, her eyes wide open, glazed over and panicked. "Please, I didn't mean to! It was a mistake, I'm sorry, I'm trying, don't hate me. Don't leave me. Not like them, oh god, please." she choked, tears rapidly falling.

The women lost their grip for a second, Skye slipping. Her head didn't reach the water, Melinda grabbing her around the waist and pulling her up before such a thing could happen.

"I think that's enough." she grunted, gently holding the sobbing girl, uncaring of her soaking wet clothes.

Jemma's hand came to rest on Skye's brow again and she sighed, pursing her lips. "It'll have to do. Here, you get her up and out." she rushed to the cupboard, bringing back a massive black towel, which she draped around Skye's shoulders. They managed to get the girl into some clean clothes and Melinda lifted her again.

Back at the lab, Jemma covered Skye with blankets, re-inserting the IV and placing a mask over her mouth and nose. She and May stepped back only then, surveying the rest of the room.

Ward, Fitz, Coulson. The whole team, eyes worried, faces sad.

Coulson's eyes flitted around the team. Ward, the agent sat, cradling her hand. Leo stood by his side, hands shoved in his pockets. Then to May, her arms crossed over her chest, standing close to Jemma, her expression stricken.

Lastly, he looked to Skye, pale and trembling and weak.

"Okay, I think it's time I called a team meeting."

There we are, sorry it's short, sorry for OOCness, sorry for mistakes, sorry for not being here. My, that's a lot of apologies. Next chapter should be up…Thursday? Hopefully. Please check out my other AoS fic 'Broken', the next chapter of that should hopefully be up tomorrow. Okay guys, thank you so so much, reviews are love!

Stay strong, I love you all.

Until next time-Sophie.


	9. Chapter 8

Coulson pulled up a chair, sitting and gesturing for the others to do the same. Once everyone had found an appropriate place to sit down, he gestured to Skye.

"Simmons, how long do you think she'll be out for?"

"A few hours at least, I'd say." the bio-chemist mumbled, instinctively shuffling a little closer to Fitz.

Phil nodded, smoothing out non-existent wrinkles in his suit. "Alright then. I think we should figure out where we're heading next. I need to know whether our team can help Skye sufficiently or whether we need to entertain the thought that I may need to contact SHIELD. Technically, she is not an agent but she is under my authority and I can get her into SHIELD's psychiatric centre if that becomes necessary. However, I do not want to have to do that, so if we can help her here, then that's what I want to do." he glanced around.

"Um quite, Sir. See, the thing is, I'm not sure how…bad it is yet. Over the past few days, she hasn't been eating at all but we haven't pushed it. Actually, we've all been…well, coddling her. She needs to eat, that's the bottom line. But more than that, we need to get her to see that it's okay to, that she has to, that it's not a bad thing. She sees it as something that's getting in the way of her becoming an agent." Simmons spoke up, wringing her hands.

"You want to know what I think?" Ward looked up from Skye. "I think Skye does need to go to the facility."

Immediately, FitzSimmons started to argue.

"No! What Skye needs is us, being with her!"

"There is no way in hell are you taking her there!"

Ward held up his hand, shaking his head. "No, not what I meant in the slightest. Not to stay there, to go, see some of the agents. If that's okay with them. It'll shake her up, shock her, maybe give her the kickstart she needs to see what she's doing to herself."

May spoke for the first time. "That is not a bad idea." she said quietly. "That might be exactly what she needs, as…cruel as it sounds."

FitzSimmons exchanged looks, silently taking each other's hands. "Is that such a good idea? What if she gets…jealous?" Jemma whispered, Fitz silently squeezing her hand.

Coulson nodded. "That's a valid point. But we have to do something. Leaving her to starve is not an option. We need to try this. Are we all agreed?"

Their replies were drowned out by a hoarse scream. All heads swivelled to the bed and Grant, the closest to Skye, stood, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Skye? Sweetheart, you're safe." he said quietly, shaking her gently as she thrashed under his hands. He received a punch for his efforts, sending him stumbling back. He winced and shook his head before going back to her side. Simmons rushed over, a prepped sedative in her hand. "Hold her as still as you can."

Ward kept his grip on her shoulders, Coulson taking her wrists, May and Leo her legs.

"Please! Oh god, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, don't…don't do it. You can't leave, you can't." Skye sobbed, bucking up, screams building in her throat.

Simmons slid the needle into her arm, stroking her hair and soothing her until her head lolled and she was still.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes. May was the first to leave, "I have to get back to the cockpit." she muttered.

Coulson went next, mumbling something about 'having work to do'.

Instead, the two senior agents meant in Coulson's office.

"It's time we told Skye the truth, Mel." Phil said softly, the both of them cradling glasses of whiskey. "Her nightmare, you know it was about her parents, it had to be, some of it at least. She deserves to know the truth."

Melinda shook her head. "Coulson, the girl's broken enough. She doesn't need to know about her mother on top of that."

"Mei." Phil sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Melinda softened, leaning forward. "Alright. When she's stronger, only then. Our girl's too weak right now."

Coulson chuckled, tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Our girl. I like the sound of that. No matter what happens, she'll stay our girl."

Back in the lab, FitzSimmons busied themselves working on some sort of project, distracting themselves really.

Ward had an ice-pack pressed to his eye with one hand, his other hand holding Skye's. His thumb gently brushed over her palm. "I'll fix this, you'll see. I'll help you." he whispered, pressing a kiss to her temple. "I love you. I mean that. I was stupid to say that maybe I did. I know it know. And I'm sorry." he murmured, closing his eyes. "I love you."

There we are. Basically some shippy moments for all three of the ships. Crappy and short chapter, I'm really sorry. I won't bother you all by telling you why it's late. I'm sorry. Thank you, love you all.


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